Aston Martin DB5
The iconic Aston Martin DB5, released in 1963, is a luxury grand tourer that was made by Aston Martin. It was a slight upgrade from the DB4 which preceded it. The DB5 is most famous for being the third but most recognised James Bond car. The vehicle first appeared in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger and went on to appear in Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall and Spectre. In addition, the vehicle has appeared in the video-games 007 Racing, Agent Under Fire, From Russia With Love, and Blood Stone. Overview The principal differences between the preceding Aston Martin DB4 Series V and the DB5 are: The all-aluminium engine was enlarged from 3.7 L to 4.0 L, A new robust ZF five-speed transmission (except for some of the very first DB5s) and three SU carburettors Producing 282 bhp (210 kW), which propelled the car to 145 mph (233 km/h), this engine, available on the Vantage (high powered) version of the DB4 since March 1962, became the standard Aston Martin power unit with the launch in September 1963 of the DB5. Standard equipment on the DB5 included reclining seats, wool pile carpets, electric windows, twin fuel tanks, chrome wire wheels, oil cooler, magnesium-alloy body built to superleggera patent technique, full leather trim in the cabin and even a fire extinguisher. All models have two doors and are of a 2+2 configuration. A three-speed Borg-Warner DG automatic transmission was available as well. At the beginning, the original four-speed manual (with optional overdrive) was standard fitment, but it was soon dropped in favor of the ZF five-speed. The automatic option was then changed to the Borg-Warner Model 8 shortly before the DB6 replaced the DB5. James Bond's DB5 Sean Connery Era The Aston Martin DB5 is the most famous Aston Martin car due to its use by James Bond in Goldfinger (1964). Although Ian Fleming had placed Bond in a DB Mark III in the novel, the DB5 was the company's newest model when the film was being made. The company was initially reluctant, but were finally convinced to a product placement deal. The car used in the film was the original DB5 prototype, with another standard car used for stunts. Two more modified cars were built for publicity tours after the film's release. In January 2006, one of those cars was auctioned for more than $2 million.1 Famous for its array of gadgets, the film's script initially had the car armed only with smoke screen. However, the gadgets rapidly increased as crew members began suggesting devices to install in it. For instance, director Guy Hamilton conceived the revolving license plate because he had been getting lots of parking tickets, while his stepson suggested the ejector seat (which he saw on television).2 Some further changes were made during production; including the replacement of a caltrop-dropping gadget (located behind the rear light cluster) with an oil dispenser because the producers thought the original could be easily copied by viewers.3 Production designer Ken Adam and engineer John Stears overhauled the prototype Aston Martin DB5 coupe, installing these and other features into the car over six weeks.4 Only two of the gadgets were not actually installed in the vehicle: the wheel-destroying blades, inspired by Ben-Hur's scythed chariots (entirely made on studio); and the ejector seat. The scene where the DB5 crashes was filmed twice, with the second take being used in the film. The first take, in which the car drives right through the fake wall, can be seen in the film's trailer.5 Within the universe of James Bond, the same car was used again in the following film, Thunderball (Reg: BMT 216A), where it was equipped with two rear-facing water cannons for Bond's escape from Colonel Jacques Bouvar's château. The effect was achieved using two fire hoses mounted under the vehicle, the hose pipes clearly visible in some shots. Pierce Brosnan Era After a long absence from the series, the Aston Martin DB5 reappeared in 1995's GoldenEye, sporting a new numberplate (Reg: BMT 214A) . The car is fitted with an Alpine 7817R car radio that doubles as a printer and communication device, and a champagne cooler concealed under the centre arm rest. Three different DB5s were used for filming. The BMT 214A also returned in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and was set to make a cameo at Castle Thane in The World Is Not Enough (1999). Although the scene was cut, the outline of the Aston Martin can still be seen in the closing scenes of the film; as M and her staff attempt to locate Bond with a thermal-imaging satellite. Daniel Craig Era Following the series' reboot in 2006, a further DB5 (Reg: 56526) made an appearance in Casino Royale, in which Bond wins villain Alex Dimitrios' Aston Martin in a game of poker. This one has Bahamian number plates and left-hand drive, whereas previous British versions had been right-hand drive. The left-hand drive DB5 would not make a reappearance during Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond. Instead, the classic gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 (with the original registration BMT 216A) returned without explanation in 2012's Skyfall. Pursued by the vengeful Raoul Silva, Bond proceeds to a London warehouse to swap the government car he had used in the rescue of M with an Aston Martin DB5. The pair then travel to Bond's ancestral home, Skyfall Lodge, and use the vehicle's concealed weaponry to stage a defense of the building. The car is subsequently destroyed by heavy machine gun fire from a helicopter belonging to Silva - much to Bond's fury. In the subsequent film, Q remarks that barely a steering wheel remained. To achieve the effect, replica miniature cars were used and destroyed. 3D printing techniques were used to create models a third of the size of the real DB5.6 The vehicle is later seen in 2015's Spectre, as Q attempts to painstakingly reconstruct it from the wreckage. In the final scene of the film 007 retrieves the newly restored car from Q and drives off with his new flame Madeleine Swann. Apparently into retirement. It is never explained in the film series how the Daniel Craig incarnation of Bond could possibly have acquired the vehicle previously used by Sean Connery's 007, who, as of Casino Royale, was a separate character in an alternate continuity. It is possible that the car is simply the same one won by Bond in Casino Royale, subsequently modified to include the on-board weapons, and any similarity to the car from Goldfinger being merely an homage for the audience on the part of the film. However, in Spectre, Q's quip about bringing "it back in one piece, not bringing back one piece" tends to suggest that the vehicle was a company car constructed by Q Branch. Video game appearances Category:Vehicles